In the pre-antibiotic era, minor injuries and common infections could cause life-threatening illnesses. One of the greatest successes in the 20th century was the discovery of antibiotics, which dramatically improved the quality of life and completely revolutionized modern medicine. Most of the currently used antimicrobial agents were discovered from 1945 to 1960, during the “golden era” of antibiotics. Unfortunately, the discovery of new antimicrobial drugs has significantly declined since the early 1960s. The rapid decline of new antimicrobial drugs may be related to several factors. New treatments for diseases such as hypertension and cancer are often more profitable than antibiotic drugs, leading to reduced commercial resource investment in the latter. The screening methods, chemical composition of materials and other infrastructure developed for drug discovery in other disease areas do not necessarily translate well into antibiotic research. The ability of pathogenic organisms to develop resistance mechanisms against chemotherapeutics puts an increased burden on the development of new treatments, as well as the general scientific strategy in targeting such organisms.
Although antibiotic resistance is a natural evolutionary process for bacteria adapting to their environment, it has been significantly accelerated by selective pressure employed by the overuse of antibiotics. As a result, antibacterial resistance to drugs has greatly increased worldwide and poses a global health threat. The World Health Organization warns that if appropriate measures are not taken, much of the past success in combating infectious diseases will be reversed. There is a general consensus that in order to slow down antimicrobial drug resistance, proper use of antibiotics (e.g., avoiding underuse or overuse of antibiotics), is crucial. Additionally, there is renewed interest in the discovery and development of new antimicrobial agents. There are new incentives and programs that encourage the discovery and development of new antimicrobials with the ultimate goal to bring new antibiotics more rapidly to patients in need. Investigation of new metabolic pathways that are essential for the survival of pathogenic microorganisms that could lead to the development of new antimicrobial drugs is vital.